A comparison of the vocational interests of second year comprehensive school pupils

Abstract

Abstract A sample of second year comprehensive school pupils drawn in equal numbers from high and low academic ability forms, and differentiated on the basis of their performance on the AH2 Test of Intelligence, were given the Rothwell—Miller Interest Blank Test. Among both sexes in the high ability group the medical category was the most preferred area, followed by science for the boys and literacy for the girls. The least preferred among boys were the musical and social service categories and among girls the musical and mechanical. Among pupils of low academic ability the most preferred interest among boys was the mechanical followed by the practical, and among girls the practical, followed by the clerical. The least preferred for these boys were musical and social service and for girls the science and computational. The results confirm much earlier research concerning the relationship between ability level and interest orientation.